Whose Side Are You On, Mr. President? Nigeria Must Respond to UN’s Damning Criticism of Oil Company Divestments
- Civil Society Demands Immediate Government Action on Niger Delta Pollution Crisis
The people of the Niger Delta have endured decades of environmental devastation. Oil pollution has poisoned their water, destroyed their farmland, and stripped away their health, livelihoods, and dignity. Now, multinational oil giants—Shell, Eni, TotalEnergies, and ExxonMobil—are abandoning their onshore operations, walking away from the toxic legacy they created without accountability or remediation.
And the Nigerian Government? Silent.
In a strongly worded communication, United Nations human rights experts have expressed “grave concern” over the companies’ divestment strategies, warning that Nigeria is being used as “an experiment for divestment without clean-up.” The letter, also addressed to the governments of the UK, Netherlands, Italy, France, Nigeria, and the United States, underscores the systemic human rights violations caused by repeated oil spills and the failure of both corporate and state actors to respond effectively.
“The repeated oil spills in the Niger Delta over a span of decades severely affected the right to life, the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment, the right to safe drinking water, the right to health, food, housing, cultural rights, and access to remedy,” the UN experts wrote. “The lack of effective response by the Nigerian Government and the home States of the international companies exacerbated these impacts.”
Shell and Eni have issued responses. So have the UK, Italy, and the Netherlands. Nigeria has not. Not a single word of reassurance. Not a single commitment to justice. Not a single step toward accountability.
This silence is not just disappointing—it is dangerous. It signals either a profound disregard for the rights of Nigerian citizens or complicity in their continued suffering.
The responses from the companies and their host governments offer little more than recycled promises—paper commitments that have repeatedly failed to materialize on the ground. Nigerians deserve more than platitudes. They deserve justice.
Remediation cannot wait. The Niger Delta must be cleaned up to international standards, with independent monitoring and the full participation of affected communities. Anything less would be a betrayal of the people.
We therefore call on the Nigerian Government to:
Publicly disclose the terms and conditions of all oil company divestments
Reveal the funding allocated for environmental remediation and compare it to independent estimates of actual clean-up costs
Establish and enforce clear standards for environmental restoration
Ensure full compensation and meaningful participation of affected communities in the remediation process
Immediately halt the reopening or licensing of any oil wells in the Niger Delta until comprehensive clean-up and restitution have been completed
Nigeria has a proud record of signing human rights treaties. But paper commitments must be honoured in practice. The ball is now in the Government’s court. The Government must now demonstrate that it stands with its people—not with polluters. Failure to act will bring dishonour to Nigeria and deepen the suffering of its people.
We urge President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to break the silence. To lead with courage. To act with urgency. The world is watching. The people are waiting. The time to act is now.
Signed:
Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA)
Resource Centre for Human Rights & Civic Education (CHRICED)
Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC)
Miideekor Environmental Development Initiative
Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP)
Good Governance Team Nigeria (GGTNIGERIA)
Kebetkache Women Development & Resource Centre
Women Initiative on Climate Change (WICC)
Alauchi Women Development Initiative (AWDI)
Otuabagi Women
Spaces For Change
Mothers and Marginalised Advocacy Centre (MAMA Centre)
Women in Media Communication Initiative (WIM)
Organisation for Community Civil Engagement (OCCEN Nigeria)
Center for Information, Technology, and Development (CITAD)
Social Action
Socio-Economic Research and Development Centre (SERDEC)
Accountability Lab Nigeria
Policy Alert
BudgIT Foundation
Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC)
Peering Advocacy and Advancement Center
Global Rights
Partners West Africa – Nigeria (PWAN)
Amnesty International
